Shoe-shank stiffener



June 17, 1930- I R. a BARTELS 1,763,744

SHOE SHANK STIFFENER' Filed July 31, 1928 Patented June 17, 1930 UNITEDSTATES REINHARD 1B. BARTELS, OF MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS SHOE-SHARKSTIFFENER Application filed July 31,

In Patent No. 1,638,136 granted to Reinhard E. Bartels August 9, 1927,for shank stiffeners, is disclosed and claimed a shoe shank stiffenerformed with opposed pairs of 5 clinching prongs inclined toward eachother, which when clinched in the sole or shank though it has beendeveloped with particular relation to the requirements of such use.

According to this invention, therefore, the prongs are arranged inspaced opposed pairs as in the patented construction, but are sodisposedrelative to the stiffener that when they are driven into thesole or other support, their inclination toward each other is increasedso that they take a bite of less depth into the support than if thisinclination remained unchanged or were modified only by the bendingefiected by the clinching operation. This may be done by striking theprongs from a convex portion of the stifiener. When this portion of thestiffener is struck with a ham- 85 mer, or is molded in a press to drivethe prongs into the support, this convex portion is flattened, whichresults in tilting the prongs toward each other, so that they clinchconsiderably nearer to the face of the support to which the stiflener isapplied than they otherwise would.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may behad to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective of ashoe stiffener embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the same drawn to anenlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a central longitudinal section through the portion shown inFigure 2, but

1928. Serial No. 296,571.

shown in initial position for attachment to a shoe sole or shank piece.

Figure 4 is a similar section showing the stiffener fixed to the sole orshank piece.

Referring to the drawings, the stiffener comprises a strip 1 of ductilemetal of sui cient stiffness to impart the resired rigidity to thesh'oesole or shank piece. As shown best in Figure 1, when first formed,it may be provided with a longitudinally extending stiffening rib 2formed by bending the metal into substantially V cross section, this ribextending throughout the intermediate portion of the length of thestiffener and terminating adjacent to opposite ends. At one end areshown a pair of prongs 3 struck from the material of the stiffener andthese as shown are of a construction commonly employed for the purpose.These will normallybe placed at the heel end of the stiffener where thestiflener engages into the heel seat portion of the shoe as at thatpoint there is considerable thickness of material for the prongs toengage in and even though the sole or shank piece may be thin nodifficulty can arise by its complete piercing by the prongs. At theforward end of the stiffener, however, it is important that the prongsdo not project through, particularly where the stiffener is applied tothe outer face of an innersole. In

order that a firm attachment of the stiffener at its forward endmay beeffected without, however, causing the projecting prongs to projectdeeply into the supporting member, whether a sole or a shank piece, theprong construction at the opposite end of Figure 1 has been devised.Itwill be noted by reference to this figure and to Figures 2 and 3, thatthis end portion of the stiflener is formed longitudinally curved, as at4, and struck from this curved portion are a pair of opposed attachingprongs 5. As shown these may be formed by striking from the body of thematerial to form a single opening 6 there in, a pair of portions whichare divided from each other substantially midway of the opening 6 thusto form the prongs 5 which are somewhat inclined toward each other in aplane of the curvature, being struck from the material at a slightlyobtuse angle, the prongs projecting from the convex face of thestiffener.

lVhen the stiffener is applied to the support, as for example to a soleor a shank piece as shown at 10 in Figure 3, the prongs are driven intoand clinched in the support 10 but at the same time the portion 4 isstraightened out, thus causing the curved portion to bend about an axisbetween the prongs, thus swinging the free end of the prongs toward eachother. Not only does this action take place, but the prongs themselvesbend toward each other as they are driven into the material so as togrip between them a portion 11 thereof, as shown in Figure 3. Because ofthe fact that the prongs engage the material at opposite sides, thestiffener is fixed firmly in position and can not be separated by arelative sliding movement as might be possible were the prongs bothinclined in the same direction. Due to the bending of the prongs towardeach other during the clinching operation, both by the flattening of thecurved portion and by engagement of the prongs in the work, the depth towhich they bite into the support is greatly reduced so that a stiffenerthus formed may be securely fixed to a relatively thin support whichwould be entirely penetrated by the prongs were it not for the fact thatthey project from the convex portion and that this is straightenedduring the clinching operation. This clinching operation may be effectedby striking the end portion of the stiffener with a hammer, or it may bedone in a molding press where the stiffeneris not only attached to thesole or shank piece, but is also molded to the desired longitudinalcurvature. It should, of course, be understood that the stifi'ener couldbe molded to the desired longitudinal curvature before being applied tothe sole or shank piece if desired, though the longitudinal moldingafter attachment is usually preferable.

Having thus described an embodiment of this invention it should beevident to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications might be made therein without departing from the spirit orscope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A shoe shank stiffener, comprising a strip of ductile metal having acurved end portion, portions of the material of said stiffener at saidcurved portion being struck out to form a pair of opposed attachingprongs projecting from the convex face of said stiffener and slightlyinclined toward each other in a plane of the curvature, whereby whensaid convex portion is flattened said prongs Will be bent further towardeach other.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

REINHARD B. BARTELS.

